Truth 38. Beaten at your own name: Buying your brand

Are you getting beaten by your own name? Buying your own brands and trademarks in PPC search can present a serious strategic dilemma, particularly when that brand as a keyword ranks number one in organic search. This is something mega-marketer Procter & Gamble faces with one of its largest brands, Head & Shoulders shampoo. Searchers using this term will see several organic listings (one from P&G’s international site, another from a U.S.-based site, and a listing from Wikipedia). I’m sure that P&G would rather have searchers go to the site most likely to persuade searchers of Head & Shoulders’ virtues, but by relying on an organic-only strategy, it cedes this all-important decision ...

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